Objectives of this study were (i) to incorporate short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in vegetable oils to obtain a bland product that could be used as a milk fat substitute in cheese making and (ii) to improve the methods for fatty acid analysis of vegetable oils modified with SCFA. Short-chain triglycerides (SCTG) were synthesized by esterifying SCFA with glycerol, and using a toluene azeotrope to remove the water of esterification. SCFA from two sources were used: (i) commercial acids and (ii) acids isolated by double distillation of milk fat methyl esters. The SCTG had a bitter, unacceptable flavor, but after interesterification with high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) and deodorization, the flavor was quite acceptable. SCTG were incorporated into HOSO at 100 and 120% of the levels found in the milk fat, by sodium methoxide-catalyzed interesterification. For fatty acid analysis, milk fat and simulated milk fat were converted to their decyl ester derivatives and analyzed by gas chromatography without further purification. The method was accurate and rapid for fatty acid analysis of fats containing a wide range of fatty acid chain lengths. All modified HOSO gave bland and acceptable flavors and had a SCFA composition close to that of milk fat. Results from using the modified HOSO in cheese making are reported in a later paper.